IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0023148
(2004-12-27)
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등록번호 |
US-7442453
(2008-10-28)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Patterson, Jr.,Timothy W.
- Perry,Michael L.
- Skiba,Tommy
- Yu,Ping
- Jarvi,Thomas D.
- Leistra,James A.
- Chizawa,Hiroshi
- Aoki,Tsutomu
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10) includes operating the plant to produce electrical power for an operating period, and then terminating operation of the plant (10) for a decontamination period, and then, whenever optimal electrical production of a plant fuel cell (12) is
A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10) includes operating the plant to produce electrical power for an operating period, and then terminating operation of the plant (10) for a decontamination period, and then, whenever optimal electrical production of a plant fuel cell (12) is reduced by at least 5% by contaminants adsorbed by fuel cell electrodes (24, 42), decontaminating the fuel cell (12) of the plant (10) during the decontamination period by oxidizing contaminants adsorbed by electrodes (24, 42) of the fuel cell. Oxidizing the contaminants may be accomplished by various steps including exposing the electrodes (24, 42) to flowing oxygen; to heated flowing oxygen; to a sequence of start-stop cycles; and, to varying controlled potentials.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10), wherein the plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical power from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, a power circuit (80) for dire
What is claimed is: 1. A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10), wherein the plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical power from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, a power circuit (80) for directing the electrical power from the fuel cell (12) to a primary electrical load (82), the fuel cell (12) including an anode electrode (24) and a cathode electrode (42) on opposed sides of an electrolyte (48), an anode flow field (22) in fluid communication with the anode electrode (24) for directing the hydrogen fuel to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the anode electrode (24), and a cathode flow field (40) in fluid communication with the cathode electrode (42) for directing the oxidant stream to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the cathode electrode (42), the decontamination procedure comprising the steps of: a. operating the fuel cell power plant (10) to produce electrical power for an operating period by connecting the primary electrical load (82) to the fuel cell (12), directing a flow of the oxidant through the cathode flow (40) field, and directing a flow of the hydrogen fuel through the anode flow field (22); b. then, whenever electrical power production of the fuel cell (12) is reduced by at least 5% by contamination of the anode electrode (24) and/or the cathode electrode (42), terminating operation of the fuel cell (12) of the plant (10) for a decontamination period by disconnecting the electrical load (82) from the fuel cell (12); c. then, decontaminating the fuel cell (12) during the decontamination period by terminating flow of the hydrogen fuel through the anode flow field (22) and then directing a flow of an oxygen containing oxidant stream through the anode flow field (22) so that a potential of the electrodes (24, 42) rises to between about 1.0 and 1.25 volts, compared to a standard hydrogen reference electrode, to oxidize contaminants adsorbed on at least one of the anode electrode (24) and cathode electrode (42) during the operating period. 2. The decontamination procedure of claim 1, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step and after the step of directing a flow of an oxidant containing oxidant stream through the anode flow field (22), cycling the potential of the electrodes (24, 42) by alternating the flow through the anode flow field (22) between the oxygen containing oxidant stream and the hydrogen containing fuel stream until the fuel cell (12) is returned to optimal electrical power production. 3. The decontamination procedure of claim 1, comprising the further step of cycling flow through the anode flow field (22) between the oxidant and hydrogen reactant streams at least two cycles. 4. The decontamination procedure of claim 1, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step, heating the oxygen containing oxidant prior to directing the flow of the heated oxygen containing oxidant through the anode flow field (22) and the cathode flow field (40) of the fuel cell (12). 5. The decontamination procedure of claim 1, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step, heating the fuel cell (12) while directing the flow of the oxygen containing oxidant through the anode flow field (22) and the cathode flow field (40) of the fuel cell (12). 6. A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10), wherein the plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical power from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, a power circuit (80) for directing the electrical power from the fuel cell (12) to a primary electrical load (82), the fuel cell (12) including an anode electrode (24) and a cathode electrode (42) on opposed sides of an electrolyte (48), an anode flow field (22) in fluid communication with the anode electrode (24) for directing the hydrogen fuel to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the anode electrode (24), and a cathode flow field (40) in fluid communication with the cathode electrode (42) for directing the oxidant stream to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the cathode electrode (42), the decontamination procedure comprising the steps of: a. operating the fuel cell power plant (10) to produce electrical power for an operating period by connecting the primary electrical load (82) to the fuel cell (12), directing a flow of the oxidant through the cathode flow (40) field, and directing a flow of the hydrogen fuel through the anode flow field (22); b. then, whenever electrical power production of the fuel cell (12) is reduced by at least 5% by contamination of the cathode electrode (42), terminating operation of the fuel cell (12) of the plant (10) for a decontamination period by disconnecting the electrical load (82) from the fuel cell (12); c. then, decontaminating the fuel cell (12) during the decontamination period by connecting a source of direct current voltage (90) to the anode and cathode electrodes (24, 42), and applying the direct current voltage to increase a potential of the cathode electrode (42) relative to the anode electrode (24) to between about 0.9 volts and about 1.6 volts, compared to a standard hydrogen reference electrode, to oxidize contaminants adsorbed on the cathode electrode (42) during the operating period. 7. The decontamination procedure of claim 6, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step, using a direct current controller (94) to cycle direct current voltage on and off between 5 and 20 times to vary a potential of the cathode electrode (42) relative to the anode electrode (24) to between about 0.9 volts and about 1.6 volts compared to a standard hydrogen reference electrode. 8. A decontamination procedure for a fuel cell power plant (10), wherein the plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical power from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, a power circuit (80) for directing the electrical power from the fuel cell (12) to a primary electrical load (82), the fuel cell (12) including an anode electrode (24) and a cathode electrode (42) on opposed sides of an electrolyte (48), an anode flow field (22) in fluid communication with the anode electrode (24) for directing the hydrogen fuel to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the anode electrode (24), and a cathode flow field (40) in fluid communication with the cathode electrode (42) for directing the oxidant stream to flow through the fuel cell (12) and adjacent the cathode electrode (42), the decontamination procedure comprising the steps of: a. operating the fuel cell power plant (10) to produce electrical power for an operating period by connecting the primary electrical load (82) to the fuel cell (12), directing a flow of the oxidant through the cathode flow (40) field, and directing a flow of the hydrogen fuel through the anode flow field (22); b. then, whenever electrical power production of the fuel cell (12) is reduced by at least 5% by contamination of the anode electrode (24) and/or the cathode electrode (42), terminating operation of the fuel cell (12) of the plant (10) for a decontamination period by disconnecting the electrical load (82) from the fuel cell (12); c. then, decontaminating the fuel cell (12) during the decontamination period by terminating flow of the hydrogen fuel through the anode flow field (22) and then directing flow of an oxidant containing oxidant stream through the anode flow field (22); d. then, connecting a source of direct current voltage (90) to the anode and cathode electrodes (24, 42), and controlling application of the direct current voltage to the electrodes (24, 42) so that a voltage differential between the electrodes is limited to about 0.5 volts, and whenever the voltage differential increases to about 0.5 volts, then controlling application of the direct current voltage to reverse a direction of current flow from the direct current source (90) to the anode and cathode electrodes (24) 42); and, e. while controlling application of the direct current voltage to the electrodes (24, 42), directing a minimal flow of an oxygen containing oxidant stream through the anode flow field (22) and cathode flow field (40). 9. The decontamination procedure of claim 8, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step, heating the oxygen containing oxidant prior to directing the flow of the heated oxygen containing oxidant through the anode flow field (22) and the cathode flow field (40) of the fuel cell (12). 10. The decontamination procedure of claim 8, comprising the further step of, during the decontaminating the fuel cell (12) step, heating the fuel cell (12) while directing the flow of the oxygen containing oxidant through the anode flow field (22) and the cathode flow field (40) of the fuel cell (12).
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